The present invention relates generally to oil systems for internal combustion engines, and more specifically, to an oiling system and an oiling system housing having an oil flow control section which continuously routes oil in a closed loop and periodically diverts oil to a two-stroke engine in an outboard motor.
Typically, two-stroke outboard marine engines do not have a separate oiling system. That is, these prior art engines require pre-mixing lubricant and fuel so that the lubricant dissolves in the fuel to lubricate the engine. This requires consistent, accurate measuring and agitation of the mixture. There are many disadvantages to the prior art system of pre-mixing lubricant and fuel. For example, since various two-stroke engines require different mix concentrations, many outboard marine engine owners also own other two-stroke engine equipment, such as various lawn and garden equipment and ATV""s, they may store several different concentrations of oil/fuel mixture. This is not only an aggravation to the owner, but is also problematic if the containers become mixed up and the owner uses the wrong concentration for a particular two-stroke engine. While this is not catastrophic, if run over time with the wrong concentration, a two-stroke engine can wear excessively.
The present invention is for use in a unique lubrication system for two-stroke engines. Such a lubrication system must provide lubrication to each cylinder of the engine and provide lubrication to the fuel system to properly lubricate the fuel metering and injection system from an oil reservoir.
Unlike four-stroke engines, which are designed to re-circulate oil for lubrication and not consume oil, a two-stroke engine, by its nature, consumes oil during use. Typically, an oil injection system for a two-stroke engine pumps only enough oil as is needed for lubrication and consumption purposes. However, many problems can occur in such precise metering systems. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a pressurized closed loop oil re-circulation system that continuously routes oil and consistently maintains oil pressure, and then periodically diverts the oil to the engine on an as-needed basis.
The present invention includes an oil system and an oil system housing that maintains oil pressure in a continuous closed loop system while periodically providing oil diversion to a two-stroke engine that solves the aforementioned problems.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an oil system housing is disclosed that includes an oil inlet port in communication with an internal inlet passage. The housing includes an oil return port in communication with an internal return passage of the housing and an oil outlet port in communication with an internal outlet passage of the housing. A solenoid chamber is provided in the oil system housing to receive a solenoid therein to allow toggling of lubricant flow from the internal inlet passage to either the internal return passage or the internal outlet passage. In this manner, when the solenoid is in its normally open position, lubricant is continuously routed from the oil inlet port to the oil outlet port in a closed loop. When the solenoid is activated, periodically by an electronic control unit (ECU), lubricant is then routed to the outlet port to supply lubricant to the engine and fuel system.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an oiling system for an outboard marine engine includes an oil reservoir having a pump associated therewith to draw and pump lubricant therefrom. A closed loop in an oil routing system is provided that includes the oil reservoir and the pump. The oiling system includes a solenoid valve positioned in the closed loop to periodically open the closed loop and divert lubricant to the outboard marine engine. Preferably, the oil reservoir is a ventless oil reservoir that can be located in the bilge section of a boat.
Accordingly, the invention also includes a boat and outboard motor combination that includes a ventless oil reservoir that can be positioned in a boat and be susceptible to water submersion. The combination includes an oiling system that has a pump to draw lubricant from the ventless oil reservoir and route the lubricant through the oiling system and back to the ventless oil reservoir, while periodically diverting the lubricant to an engine in the outboard motor.
The invention also includes a method of providing oil to an engine that includes continuously routing lubricant from an oil reservoir through an oil pump, to an oil system, and back to the oil reservoir in a closed loop. The method also includes periodically opening the closed loop in the oil system to interrupt the continuous routing of lubricant and divert lubricant to the engine as controlled by an ECU and a solenoid in the oil system.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings.